Modern Baseball open up on frontman's mental health struggles

Modern Baseball reflect on the loss and depression that inspired their new record Holy Ghost

Modern Baseball frontman Brendan Lukens has discussed his bipolar disorder in new documentary.

While singer and guitarist Jacob Ewald opens up about the loss of his grandfather in mini documentary Tripping In The Dark, frontman Brendan Lukens admits that nightly binge-drinking and growing apart from the rest of the band after last year's tour with Say Anything left him feeling suicidal.

He says: "I love my privacy and I always have, but I unknowingly trained myself to only get to the dark, lowest points when I'm by myself. After that I was just concealing my illness from everyone. I didn't want others to know.

"After the Say Anything tour we split ways like we always do, but for whatever reason I thought they abandoned me. That kind of pushed me back into my manic bipolar state.

"It wasn't uncommon for a very simple thing to be a trigger for me. Just us parting ways was enough for me to drink a bottle of whisky the following night.

"You do that 10 days in a row, then you don't have to think about going on the roof – it just sort of happens."

In the film, which can be viewed below, Lukens tells how he confided in friends and family, sought treatment and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

He adds: "They saved my life. It's not a joke to play around with depression or mental health. it's not wrong to seek or receive help. The last few months have meant a lot and it's changed the way I look after myself and write.

"We feel now with Holy Ghost that we've written the most open and honest songs to date. We're hoping that with opening our personal lives up to so many people, that our fans can open up to everyone in their lives."